New attempt to look for something positive in the invasive asian algae which has the Andalusian tourist fishing sector and also marine biodiversity in check. The Andalusian Institute for Agricultural, Fishing, Food and Ecological Production Research and Training (Ifapa) and the company Valoriza have signed a collaboration agreement to test the incorporation of arrivals ‘Rugulopteryx okamurae‘ -is its scientific name- to the industrial process of composting of sewage sludge.
The objective is to verify the feasibility of using the arrivals of this invasive species as a structuring material for composting sludge from wastewater treatment.
During the execution of the agreement, Ifapa and Valoriza professionals will carry out composting tests on a semi-industrial scale at the company’s facilities in Jerez de la Frontera, in Cádiz, and the process will be tested with different mixtures of sewage sludge and upland algae. Subsequently, the quality of the compost obtained will be evaluated in tests of fertilization with dryland cereal crops, as they have explained.
The Board has indicated that this agreement, which has a duration of one year, It is part of the activities and objectives of the Ifapa project ‘Development of tools aimed at the control and management of ‘Rugulopteryx okamurae’ on the Andalusian coast (Biokamurae II)’, financed by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, in which technicians and researchers from the Ifapa El Toruño centers will participate, in The Port of Santa María; La Mojonera, in Almería; and Rancho de la Merced, in Jerez de la Frontera, as well as professionals from the Valoriza company.
The Strait, carpeted by this invasive species
The abundance of ‘Rugulopteryx okamurae’ throughout the area of the Strait of Gibraltar and a large part of the Andalusian Mediterranean has meant that during storms, tons of algae are released from the bottom and end up depositing on the coastal strip – what is called arrival – thus causing damage to the biodiversity of the affected area. This species has also practically covered the Strait of Gibraltar and is displacing native species.
This situation is assuming a serious problem for coastal municipalities in which algae accumulate, both because of its impact on the tourist use of the beaches and because of the costs and complex logistics that its removal entails.
In this sense, the Board has indicated that to try to alleviate this situation, Ifapa has been working since 2019 evaluating the advantages and limitations of composting the tops of this invasive algae as a method of sustainable management and revaluation of these wastes.
The results obtained to date reinforce the idea that composting can be a useful tool to transform the algae clumps that accumulate in coastal areas of Andalusia into fertilizer products for agricultural use, thus reducing environmental impacts and generating added value, he explained.
Finally, he indicated that this collaboration between Ifapa and Valoriza, a company specialized in different services in the recycling chain and in the recovery of waste, will allow for scaling up the studies. in an industrial plant dedicated to sludge management and composting.
